Apparatus for reclaiming contents of filled envelope packages



Jan. 7, 1958 H. o. IRMscHER 2,818,985

APPARATUS FOR RECLAIMING CONTENTS OF' FILLED ENVELOPE PACKAGES FiledJan. 6. 1951 3 Shee'crs-Sheer.` 1

Jan. 7, 1958 H. o. lRMscHER 2,818,985

APPARATUS FOR RECLAIMING CONTENTS y 0F FILLED ENvELoPE PACKAGES FiledJan. 6, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N V EN TOR. [SY/72m' e/wwf H. O.IRMSCHER APPARATUS FOR RECLAIMING CONTENTS Jan. 7, 1958 OF FILLEDENVELOPE 'PACKAGES Filed Jan. 6. 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United StatesPatent APPARATUS FOR RECLAMING CONTENTS OF FILLED ENVELOPE PACKAGES Hans0. Irmscher, East Hempstead, N. Y., assigner to National Tea PackingCompany, Ine., a corporation of New York Application January 6, 1951,Serial No. 204,762

5 Claims. (Cl. 214-305) This invention relates to the packaging art, andmore particularly is directed to spoilage reclamation of envelope lledpackages such as having contents of tea, coffee, sugar, color tintingpreparations, seed, cigarettes, or the like products, fordisintegrating, that is, tearing (herein after referred to as exploding)the envelopes to release and empty the contents so that the latter maybe entirely' separated in usable condition and reclaimed to minimizemanufacturing and other spoilage losses.

Among the objects of the invention is to generally improve the art ofthe character described, which shall cornprisefew and simple apparatusparts that are readily assembled to form a compact structure, whichshall provide a relatively inexpensive apparatus of minimum complexityyet assuring maximum capacity output, which shall be positively capableof separating of the envelope material from the contents of said filledpackages so that such contents can be made again available for use inrepackaging thereof, which improved method shall produce the resultsdesired, Vand which shall be practical and elcient to a high degree inuse.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in steps of the irnproved method andfeatures of apparatus construction, combinations of elements andarrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the method andconstruction respectively hereinafter, described and of which the scopeof application will be indicated in the following claims.

Figs. l and 2 are front and side elevational views, respectively, of anapparatus constructed to embody the invention for disintegratingenvelope lled packages of tea, coffee, sugar, color tintingpreparations, seeds, cigarettes, or the like, to reclaim the contents ofsuch packages spoiled or made defective during the manufacture thereof,Fig. 2

being shown partly broken away to expose the interior structure adjacentthe discharge end of the mechanical separator.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on lines 3--3 in Fig. l ofportions of the interior construction of the improved apparatus showingthe exploding means for bursting envelopes to release the contents forseparation and reclamation and the inlet end of the mechanicalseparator.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View corresponding to a cut taken on line 4--4 inFig. 3 showing the interior structure f the feeding chute, impellermounting with bearings therefor, and drive transmission assembled toembody the invention with the impact wall of the exploding charnberarranged in a down spaced position with relation to said impeller alongthe path of travel of the envelope packages being processed.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line S-ll in Fig. 3 showingdetails of the feeding chtite construction.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 6-6 inFig. ift-showing details of the improved impeller structure embodyingthe invention, and

ice

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the impeller memberportions with a flanging end and intermediate spacers disassembled fromthe improved impeller structure shown in Fig. 6.

In the packaging art particularly in manufacturing filled packagesformed with envelopes having contents of the character described, as forexample, in making tea balls B with filter paper envelopes E, or inpackaging sugar or seed in small paper envelopes, or cigarettes and thelike relative cheap articles in large quantity production, it has oftenbeen found commercially impractical to salvage the contents T of suchfilled packages which have been spoiled or otherwise found defective dueto high labor costs and involvements of relatively slow and tedious handoperations require to reclaim same. it is to this class of reclamationthe present invention has been found to have great utility.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 10 denotes a spoilage reclaimingapparatus constructed to embody the invention for exploding envelopelled packages B of the character described to release and separate inreusable condition the contents T of such packages B. ln the so-calledprocess of exploding of envelope filled packages, the envelope E orwrapper is burst, that is, torn to a degree permitting the completeemptying of the contents T yet retaining the torn envelopes E inintegral forms for complete separation from the contents in the mannerhereinafter described.

From Figs. 1 to 2 it is seen that apparatus 10 may include a supportingframe 11 formed of suitable lengths of spaced apart horizontally andvertically disposed angle irons 11a and 11b, respectively, firmlysecured together in any Well understood manner by riveting or welding,and having angularly disposed angle iron bracings 11C, lower end 11d ofsaid vertically disposed frame angle irons 11b serving as legs of frame11 for suporting apparatus 10 on floor surface level S.

Secured to and extending above extreme upper ends 11e of said verticallydisposed frame angle irons 11b, a suitable gravity down-flow supplyfeeding hopper 12 having a top inlet 12a is supported. The walls of saidhopper 12, if desired, may be formed by portions of spaced apartparallelly aligned vertical positioned plates 13. Extending portions ofthe latter also form vertical walls of an inter-communicating chute 14which has steeply sloping wall portions 14a spaced apart between saidplates 13 for directing llow of filled envelope packages B beingprocessed into an impeller casing 15 after passing through chute 14 fromhopper 12.

impeller casing 15 may terminate in a vertically extending passageway 16which forms an elongated exploding chamber having an impact side wall16a, the latter, as seen from Figs. 3 and 4, extending wholly below saidimpeller casing 15. For simplicity and economy of construction adjoiningwall portions forming hopper 12, chute 14, impeller casing 15 andpassageway 16 extending between spaced plates 13 may be made fromcontinuous bent sheets.

As is clear from Fig. 3, hopper 12 is constructed and arranged toprovide a gravity liow of said filled envelope packages B suppliedtherein in an offset relation with respect to the successive directionalow through chute 14, and to said casing 15 for accelerating centrifugalpropulsion by staggered blades 17a of an impeller 17 mounted forrotation within casing walls 15b so that manual filling of hopper 12 maybe practised with a. high degree of safety and accidental entry offoreign rigid articles in hopper 12 will be retarded or practicallyprevented from reaching the impeller blades 17a.

As seen from Figs. l to 3 there is provided to extend directly invertical alignment under passageway ,le top inlet 18a upstanding fromone end of a suitable mechanical separator mechanism 18 of anyconventional construction, or as here shown, may be of the shakergravity type comprising an elongated horizontally disposed housing 18hwhich is cradled for rocking or shifting with a longitudinalreciprocating movement while in a slightly sloping position, that is,with a down pitch in an angular relation from said inlet 18a to downextending outlet itlc provided at the other or discharge end of saidhousing 18h. A receiving funnel 19a of a waste discharge hopA er it? issupported on frame 11 wherethrough coarse waste formed from the tornemptied package envelopes E passes after being separated in travellingover upper surface 2Ghz of a screen sieve 20 enclosed to extend along alength of said housing 13b as shown in Fig. Said coarse waste material Eresults from exploding the spoiled or defectively manufactured envelopepackages B being processed. Bottom or under side 18d of said housing 18below sieve 20 may be of U- or V-shaped cross section transversely thelength thereof to serve as a trough which has a downwardly projectingoutlet 18e inwardly of said outlet 18C extending to empty into areclaiming receptacle 21 through a suitable flexible conduit 18)" foraccumulation of reusable contents of the filled envelope packages Bbeing processed.

Passageway 16 which forms the exploding chamber has the walls thereofsupported in a relatively stationary position which may interconnectwith said housing inlet 13a through a exible conduit or other suitablepiping 161), constructed of llexible sheet material such as canvas sothat when apparatus 10 is in operation to reciprocate housing 18b withsieve 20 therein unrestricted relative movement therebetween ispermitted. To that end any form of suitable drive may be provided. Forexample as shown in Figs. l and 2, reciprocating means for saidseparator mechanism 18 may include a vertical extending eccentricallydisposed stub shaft 22a which is mounted to upstand and turn with largebevel friction pulley 22. The latter may be suitably journalled as at2lb to be cooperatively driven by a smaller bevel pulley 22e which turnswith horizontally disposed shaft 22d driven from any suitable powersource direct or through belted pulley 22e from motor M which when sobelted may be provided with a safety closure guard G, said motor M beingmounted on frame angle irons 11a. Said journal 22h and a suitablebearing for said shaft 22d may each be mounted on frame angle-irons 11aas shown in Figs. l and 2.

To provide shaker or oscillating movement to reciprocate mechanism 18from eccentrically driven stub shaft 22a, a suitable end supportingbearing 22f in which the latter turns, is provided to extend from headend 18g of said mechanism 18. Tail end 18h of the latter opposite saidbearing 22f may be supported for limited sliding movement by slide shoes22h down projecting to ride on guide rail plates 22]' in cooperationwith the requiremonts of said eccentric drive provided by stub shaft 22aand bearing 22g, said plates 22j being supported on frame angle irons11a as shown in Figs. l and 2.

Sieve 2t? may terminate at tail end 13h of housing 18h to communicatewith outlet 18a` extending over outlet 13e of said bottom side 18d, abaflie plate 18j extending across said housing side 18d being providedto extend up from said bottom side 18d to prevent flowing free contentsfrom passing said outlet 13e, as is clear from Fig. 2.

From Figs. 3, 4, 6 and 7 it is seen that impeller 17 may be constructedwith a horizontally disposed shaft 17h journalled in spaced apart ballbearings 171 carried on exterior side of plates 13, said shaft ll'bbeing extended at 1'7c beyond one of said plates 13 forming portions ofimpeller casing wall 15. Said extended shaft end 17e may be driven fromany suitable power source directly, or beltedas shown in Fig. 2 frommotor P. P

When so belted said extended shaft end 17e may be provided with a drivenpulley 17u and a suitable safety guard C which encloses pulley 17u andthe belted drive belt from motor P, the later being mounted onhorizontally disposed frame angle irons 11a as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

impeller 17 may be constructed and assembled on shaft 17b with circularshaped ends or discs 17d, intermediate spacer discs 17e, similar in sizeand shape to disc 17d, and blade carrier members 17f arrangedalternately either between successive discs 17e or at the impeller endsbetween discs 17d and 17e all bolted and rigidly clamped together bysuitable spaced apart tierods 17g extending therethrough. The oppositeends of said tie-rods 17g may be provided with suitable means foranchorage in said assembly with said end discs 17d. For example threadedend nuts 17h counter-sunk into said disc 17d may be provided, said nuts17h being leaded securely in position as at 17]' to present smoothsurfaces for eliminating from said impeller assembly the carrying orlodging of dust deposits from the reclaimed contents T.

Blade carrier members 17f may each be madeA with a disc portion 17k ofsubstantially the same size and shape as discs 17e and 17d, and one or aplurality of said blades 17a uniformly spaced and integrally formed toproject from disc portion 17k. Said blades 17a for service in thereclamation of the contents T of tea balls having paper or other unwovensheets forming the filled envelope packages B, may each be made of alength just short of reaching the interior surface of the circularlyshaped portion of impeller casing walls 1S, and as shown in Figs. 3, 4,6 and 7, there is provided two diametrically opposite blades 17a on eachof said carrier member 17f, each blade 17a having a peripheral edgeradial disposed surface 17n, a rounded end 17p and a peripheral edgesurface portion 17r sloping to merge, as at 17t, into peripheral edgesurface 17s of said disc portion 17k.

ln the construction of impeller 17, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, saidblade carrier members 17f are arranged with blades 17a projecting insuccessive 45 relation thereby leaving ample space in a spiral pathabout impeller 17 in the form of a helical pocket for receiving teaballs therein to be processed for reclaiming the contents T after beinggravity fed through chute 14 and rotated by the impeller 17 partwayalong the curved inner surface of impeller casing wall 15 in theclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3. Then by acombination of forces exerted thereat on the tea balls B carried by theimpeller 17, the tea balls are violently shot from against sloping edgesurface 17r of the impeller blades 17a into passageway 16 against theimpact side 16a as a target and along a considerable surface areathereof below bottom opening 15a of said casing wall 15.

It is to be noted that tea balls B as they pass down through chute 14enter in between the impeller blades 17a lodging in the helical pocketthereof singly or in a thin layer and are shot therefrom in a continuousstream, being hurled from the impeller 17, and strike against passagewayside walls 16a of chamber 16 successively the distance extending along aline the entire width of said side wall 16a in repeated sequence toburst each of the envelopes E in explosion fashion due to tearingstrains and stresses imposed thereby. Said envelopes E are thus rippedopen to free flowing contents therefrom. Said tearing of the sheetmaterial forming the envelopes -results in practically producing nofragmentation so that the ripped envelopes E each remain whole, that is,in al single piece, and with spilling contents T drop down in passageway16, through flexible conduit 161, and onto sieve surface 20a forseparation of the reusable reclaimed contents T which are accumulated inreceptacle 21 from waste envelope material segregated in dischargehopper 19.

. The number and condition lof tea balls B comprising said `streamsubjected to hurling action by impeller blades 17a constantly vary to adegree suiiicient to raise or lower the level of the line on said sidewall 16a along which impact takes place. To accommodate such variationside wall 16a may be extended down to provide an extensive surface areaof impact on passageway side 16a below the level of casing bottomopening 15a as is clear `from Figs. 3 and 4.

The practical utility of the invention will now be -apparent. Theoperation of the apparatus l0 constructed as hereshown, to embody theinvention, has been found highly efficient in taking care of quantityproduction for disintegrating tea ball filter paper envelopes to releaseand empty the tea. contents T from the envelopes E and to separate saidcontents T in a usable condition ready for repackaging.

Thus after constructing and :assemblying the parts of apparatus as abovedescribed and shown in the drawings, motors M and P may be connected toa suitable electric power supply source in the well understood manner torotate impeller 17 and to reciprocate separator mechanism 18. Tea ballsB that have been defectively manufactured may then be dumped into hopper12 where they iare fed down through chute 14 and carried by the rotatingimpeller 17 in a lclockwise direction within the impeller walls 15b atan increase accelerated speed therethrough. Due to the movement thereofwith said impeller blade surfaces 17r a combination of forces exerted onthe rotating tea balls B causing them on reaching bottom opening 15a ofthe impeller casing 15 to leave the impeller blade surfaces 171* withconsiderable force in a stream and to strike the impact side w-all 16aas above described, exploding the tea balls B for disintegrating thefilter paper envelopes E thereof to release and empty the contents Tfrom the envelopes E during the travel thereof successively throughpassageway 16, flexible conduit 18f, and onto sieve surface a inseparator housing 18a. The latter which is being reciprocated by motor Mcompletes the emptying of the contents from the torn tea ball envelopesE and causes said contents to flow through the screen sieve 20 henceinto the trough housing bottom 18d, through flexible conduit 18f andfrom the latter to drop into receptable 21. The torn envelopes E arediverted by passing along over the sieve top 20a and down in dischargewaste hopper 19 completely separated :from the a-ccumulated contents Tin receptacle 21.

Housing 18, if desired, besides having said bottom side 18d also may bemade with a top half cover portion 18m which is secured to the housingbottom side 18d by suitable releasible closure bands or straps 18n -asshown in Fig. 2.

The improved method or process embodying the invention as here disclosedis seen to comprise the steps of progressively advancing heat sealed orsewn conventional types of filter-paper enveloped tea balls B, or any ofthe other aforementioned like filled enveloped packages B, that aredefective or from which the contents T are to be reclaimed, in aconstant downwardly direction after being dumped in supply hopper 12 ata relatively high level position to lower level through chute 14 intoimpeller casing 15. The `rotation of impeller 17 then providescentrifugal force in the path of the Iconstant progressive downwardmovement which as the advancing tea balls reach the level of casingbottom opening 15a are shot in angular downwardly directions ofrelatively wide range, impacting against an extensive surface area ofpassageway side 16a as a target, the latter extending wholly be low thelevel of said casing bottom opening 15a.

Hurling of said tea balls B from the impeller blade sloping edgesurfa-ce 17r as has been described above effectuates said wide angularrange of directional movement that impacts the tea balls against saidextensive surface area of passageway side 16a always continuing themovement thereof in constant downwardly direction` to a lower levelthrough apparatus 10.

Satisfactory results have been produced when using an impeller 17 ofabout 6 inches in diameter rotating at a high speed of approximately3600 R. P. M., from which the tea balls B after leaving impeller 17strike violently against passageway side 16a the latter beingproportioned, sized and located approximately to correspond to saidimpeller 17 `size and assembly dimensions shown in Figs. 3 and 4. 0ncollision with passageway side 16a the tea ball envelopes E burst as ifthey were exploded due to the impact forces to tear and completely ripthem open to release the contents T to freely flow down throughpassageway 16 and into separating mechanism 18. The screen sieve 20intercepts the torn envelopes E which continue to move in the downwardlydirection on sieve surface top 20a while the tea contents T passesthrough the sieve 20 and continues to move in downwardly direction alongthe housing trough bottom side 18d. Both of these move-A ments takeplace due to the shaker reciprocation of apparatus 18. The emptiedenvelopes finally pass into hopper 21 where they accumulate to bedisposed of as waste While the tea `contents T finally pass intoreceptable 21 where it is segregated free from all envelope `materiallin condition available for repackaging.

The novel feature provided by said improved method of having the teaballs B progressively advanced in a constant downwardly direction fromstart to linish results in a high `capacity rate of operation assuringmaximum output and provides for a compact arrangement of minimumcomplexity producing highly efiicient results.

The bursting action performed as above `described in having the teaballs B lodged in said helical pocket of impeller 17 singly or in a thinlayer shot therefrom successively in a continuous stream along a lineextending across passageway surface area 16a in repeated sequenceprovides positive impact assuring bursting of the package envelope asrequired for complete reclamation of the contents.

lt is thus seen that there is provided an improved method of manufactureand an apparatus in which the objects of the invention are achived andwhich are well adapted to meet all conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments may be made in the H above invention foruse for different purposes and las Various changes might be made in theembodiments and method above set forth, it is understood that all theabove matters here set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing are tobe interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Thus having described my invention, I claim` as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

l. ln a spoilage reclaiming apparatus of the character described, animpeller for rotating at high speed on a horizontal axis, a casingsurrounding said impeller in close proximity thereto and having an upperchute inlet and a lower passageway outlet, means for rotating saidimpeller at high speed to project filled envelope articles receivedthrough said upper chute inlet in a downwardly directional path intosaid passageway outlet, said passageway outlet being formed with animpact wall extending in a substantially vertical plane in said pathbelow the level of the path of rotation of said impeller to serve as astarget surface area against which said articles collide for bursting theenvelopes thereof to free the filling.

2. ln the spoilage reclaiming apparatus as defined in claim l in whichsaid impeller includes spaced -apart staggered blades forming a helicalpocket from which said articles are hurled when said rotating means areeffective.

3. In the spoilage reclaiming apparatus as defined in claim l in whichsaid impeller includes spaced apart staggered blades forming a helicalpockets from which said articles are hurled when said rotating means areeffective, each blade provided with a radically extending edge 7 portionand a sloping surface opposite said edge portion extending to merge withthe periphery of said disc portion, said blade sloping surfaces servingas hurling means of said articles to the target area.

4. The spoilage reclaiming -apparatus dened in claim l in which saidimpellerfincludes elements formed with hub portions having spaced apartprojecting blades, each blade having a radially extending trailing edgeand a substantially str-aight leading edge sloping at an angle to thelatter to merge with the periphery of said hub portion, said leadingedge being advanced by said impeller rotating means to coact with saidarticles to effectuate the hurling thereof to said target area.

5. An impeller construction for -a spoilage reclaiming apparatuscomprising a plurality of disc members rigidly clamped together to forma rotor with alternately spaced apar-t disc members having projectingblades, each blade provided with a radially extending trailing edge anda substantially straight leading edge sloping at an angle to the latterto merge with the periphery of the adjacent disc, said blades beingpositioned in staggered relation to form a helical pocket therebetweento extend about the rotor from which articles ycontinuously placedtherein are hurled successively in a continuous stream along a path in adirection of the length of said rotor when rotated.

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